Of this type of apparatus, jet dyeing machines were introduced in the 1960's to provide the processors of polyester fabric with the means of controlling repeatability in economical conditions. The benefits that were derived which could not be specifically measured were better bulking, uniform dyeing, fewer adds and reduced handling of the fabric. The immediate results with the use of these machines for dyeing textile fabrics were shorter dye cycles, reduced chemical consumption, almost complete dye exhaustion, and less utilities per pound of fabric processed.
While this type of apparatus is utilized primarily for dyeing of textile fabrics, it may also be utilized for other wet processing operations, such as washing, scouring, etc. Specific examples of the construction and operation of machines of this type may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,978,291; 3,685,325; 3,780,544; 3,949,575; 4,007,517; 4,023,385; 4,036,038; 4,114,407; 4,129,017 and 4,360,937.
These patented machines, because they process textile material in endless rope form traveling in an endless path about a horizontal axis of the machine within a predetermined compact space, are also advantageous in that they perform the dyeing or the wet processing operation in a pressurized vessel which occupies a minimum amount of space and therefore minimizes the area required in the manufacturing facility for containing the machine. Because of this, these machines have come to be known as "compact" machines or "compact" jet dyeing machines.
In addition to the above described specific machines, this type of apparatus includes machines which dye and otherwise wet process textile material in endless rope form utilizing the same general devices and techniques discussed above, except that the vessel utilized is an atmospheric vessel and not a pressurized vessel, since the dyeing or wet processing is not required to be performed under pressure. An example of such a machine is manufactured and sold by MCS s.p.a., 24059 Urgnano, Bergamo, Italy under the tradename Mulinello Overflow MO serie 79, which is described as being particularly suitable for wet processing of terry cloth, velvet, velveteen, woollen, cotton, acrylic and polyamid articles.
In all of the machines of this type of apparatus, the dyeing or other wet processing treatment are by-in-large performed in the rope transport tube by the action of the jet propelling the dye liquid or other processing liquid directly onto the rope of textile material as it is transported through such tube promoting an active exchange of dyestuff or other materials from the processing liquid into the textile material. This is particularly true since the speed of travel of the processing liquid and the speed of travel of the rope of textile material through the transport tube is different and the speed of travel of the processing liquid is faster causing a turbulent contact of the processing liquid on the rope of textile material.
Inasmuch as the endless rope of textile material travels in an endless path within the vessel of the machine about a horizontal axis through the machine, the length of the transport tube has usually been necessarily limited by the inside peripheral cross-sectional dimension of the vessel about the horizontal axis. However, to overcome this problem and to provide a longer rope transport tube, some manufacturers of thse machines have constructed rope transport tubes which extend from within the machine vessel, outside the machine vessel through a superstructure, and back into the machine vessel. However, problems have been presented with this type of construction with the complexity of the construction of the transport tube and associated superstructure positioned outside the machine vessel, including heat loss, insulation problems, etc.
In order to accomodate a longer rope transport tube, a jet dyeing machine has been proposed utilizing a long auto-clave type vessel, in which the cloth transport tube is positioned along the length of such vessel. This type of machine is also sold by MCS under the tradename SILURO Jet JR serie 90. However, the size of the auto-clave type vessel presents problems, among others, of space within manufacturing facilities in that it requires much more space than the prior "compact" jet dyeing machines.